chanel: 65 posts

What Makes a Perfume Beautiful?

“What makes a perfume beautiful?” I pose a question to Maurice Roucel knowing fully well that it is a complicated question to answer. Roucel is a perfumer with more than 40 years of experience in creating exquisite perfumes, such as Hermès 24 Faubourg, Donna Karan Be Delicious, Frédéric Malle Dans Tes Bras, and Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, and he’s devoted much effort to promoting the notion of perfumer as an artist, rather than a mere “nose.” “We use our imagination and our brains more than noses,” he says.

Perfumery as an intangible art can be hard to champion. Although scents are related to the intangible cultural heritage protected by UNESCO such as cuisine and certain arts, they don’t benefit from the recognition or documentation. (The Osmothèque, a scent archive based in Versailles, is the main institution studying and preserving the historical fragrances today.) Perfume is generally seen as too subjective to define or even describe, which makes definitions of artistic worth complicated.

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Chanel Gardenia Perfume Giveaway

Today have a generous giveaway courtesy of Bois de Jasmin’s reader Carla. She would like to give away a nearly full bottle of Chanel Gardenia EDP, 3.4oz/100ml. It’s our second Gardenia giveaway this year!

Carla would like your help to find a new fragrance for her. Please see her question below. Carla can send her package in the continental US.

We are not responsible for leaks or damage during transit, customs fees, or for lost packages.

To participate, please answer these questions. I will randomly draw one winner.

1. Please suggest a new perfume to Carla. “My children left for college, I moved to a new house and I’m starting a new job this fall. Lots of new things. I would like a new perfume to mark this transition for me. I like woods and spices, but nothing too sweet or heavy. I wore Diptyque Tam Dao for many years, but it’s been reformulated and no longer smells the same. Thank you for your recommendations.”
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Carla?

The contest is closed. The winner is Luce. Congratulations! I will contact you via email shortly.

I would like to thank our entire Bois de Jasmin community for your generosity and kindness, whether it means giveaways like this, advice or comments. 

Why Classics Retain Their Appeal

Whenever I browse the list of perfume best sellers, regardless of the geographic market, I’m always struck by the enduring presence of classics. Chanel No 5 rarely gives up its position in the top five, while perfumes like Guerlain Shalimar, Clinique Aromatics Elixir, and Aramis keep their place in the top twenty. What can explain the lasting appeal of these icons, especially today when every season brings more and more new creations?

For the author of Perfume: A Century of Scents, Lizzie Ostrom, the answer lies partly in this avalanche of new launches.  “Classic scents are lodestars. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by new launches, it’s often just easier to go for the ones you recognize, like ignoring fashion fads and saving up for a Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking instead,” she says. Perfumes like Chanel No 19 or Lancôme Magie Noire convey different moods and experiences, but they also have a reputation. (Incidentally, neither No 19 nor Magie Noire is a top seller for their brands, but their following is fiercely loyal.)

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Chanel Chance Perfume Giveaway

Today have a generous giveaway made possible by Bois de Jasmin’s reader Annette. She would like to give away a full bottle of Chanel Chance, EDP, 3.4 ounces (comes with a box, almost full.) She can send her package anywhere in the US (sanitized and well-wrapped, of course).

We are not responsible for leaks or damage during transit or for lost packages.

Annette says, “I received Chance as a gift from a colleague, but it doesn’t suit me. So I would like to find a new home for it.”

To participate, please answer these questions. I will randomly draw one winner.

1. Annette would like to find out what strategies do you have to improve your mood during winter. Do you have favorite scents that boost your spirits?
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Annette?

The contest is now closed. The winner is Delfine. Congratulations! I will notify the winner via email shortly.

I would like to thank our entire Bois de Jasmin community for your generosity and kindness, whether it means giveaways like this, advice or comments. 

Three Classics and One Great Novel

The first time I encountered a perfume that beguiled me was on the pages of a book. The sultry red-haired witch in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita enticed women with the promise of “Guerlain, Chanel No. 5, Mitsouko, Narcisse Noir, evening gowns, cocktail dresses...” It would be some years before I smelled these perfumes, but their names left a “baffling but seductive” imprint, just as suggested by the novel.

It is no accident that Bulgakov selected Chanel No 5, Guerlain Mitsouko and Caron Narcisse Noir. Those were the fragrances worn by his wife, Elena Bulgakova, the muse for Margarita in the novel. Elena Bulgakova’s granddaughter from her first marriage used to be part of my family. She often mentioned how much her grandmother loved fragrance, especially the three perfumes mentioned in the novel. Chanel No 5 evoked elegance for her. Mitsouko conveyed sophistication. And Caron was pure magic in its opulent glamour.

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From the Archives

Latest Comments

  • Alexandra in Recommend me a Perfume February 2024: Thanks, Aurora! I was mixing up my London niche perfume shops. Thanks for setting me straight. March 18, 2024 at 5:43pm

  • Mari in Recommend me a Perfume February 2024: Hello all. I hope I’m not too late for this thread. I am looking for a perfume that is a photorealistic take on spring blooming trees/shrubs/flowers. I love the scents… March 17, 2024 at 1:07pm

  • Camille in White Winter Opulence : Floral Perfumes: I recently read an article (sorry I forgot where and by whom) that described the white florals as old fashioned, granny fragrances. Do you agree? I love the big white… March 16, 2024 at 12:28pm

  • Kylie walker in Guerlain Apres l’Ondee : Perfume Review: Thanks to your beautiful descriptive writing, i am enticed and feel I must try this fragrance of yours. You make it sound so interesting, like a well kept secret. Thank… March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm

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